NBA Odds: Cavaliers (even)
The Cleveland Cavaliers (36-22) welcome the Golden State Warriors (44-10) in a matchup that pits the fifth-ranked offense against the first-ranked defense. The game starts at 8:00 pm ET on Thursday, Feb. 26 and will air on TNT and FSN-OH.
The Cavaliers were victorious over the Pistons 102-93 on Tuesday. Kevin Love led all scorers with 24 points on 8-for-16 shooting. The Warriors, meanwhile, are coming off a 114-107 win over the Wizards on Tuesday. Stephen Curry led the game in scoring with 32 points on 11-for-18 shooting.
The game should be a battle of strength against strength, as the high-octane offense of Cleveland (fifth in the NBA with an offensive efficiency of 107.7) takes on the top-notch defense of Golden State (first in the league with a defensive efficiency of 98.1). It will also be a tale of two tempos, as the up-tempo Warriors are ranked first in possessions per game, with the slow-paced Cavaliers at 26th.
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Warriors won the first game 112-94. Curry played a huge role in the victory by recording a double-double with 23 points and 10 assists.
Oddsmakers have deemed this game an even matchup and the Over/Under (O/U) is presently unavailable. The Cavaliers are attempting to build on their records of 36-22 Straight Up (SU) and 29-29 Against The Spread (ATS). In their last 10 games they are 7-3 ATS.
On the other side, the Warriors head into the game with records of 33-20-1 ATS and 44-10 SU. In Eastern Conference games, Golden State has gone 17-3 SU and 10-9-1 ATS. The Warriors are the number one overall scoring offense, averaging 110.4 points per game so far. Golden State is one of the top three-point shooting teams in the league, converting 10.5 shots from three-point range per game. The Warriors are the best team in the league at finding the open man with an average of 27.1 assists per game. A large part of Golden State’s game is creating turnovers and turning them into points. They are scoring 19.9 points per game off turnovers, which ranks second in the league.
Golden State won the last meeting this season between these two teams, moving its SU record against the Cavaliers to 7-3 in their last 10 head-to-head meetings. Additionally, with an 8-2 record, the Warriors have the advantage ATS. Golden State had the advantage in three key areas (field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers) twice over the last 10. Cleveland has never had the edge in all categories.
Predictions: SU Winner – GS, ATS Winner – GS
Notes
Golden State ranks first in points allowed per road game (100.8 PPG), while Cleveland ranks eighth in points per home game with 103.6.
When the Cavaliers give up fewer than 100 points to their opponents, they are 26-5. When the Warriors score fewer than 100 points, they also have a winning record (7-4).
The Cleveland Cavaliers have a losing 10-17 record in games where they have allowed at least 100 points. The Golden State Warriors are 37-6 when they hit triple digits.
The Warriors have the best defense in the NBA, with a defensive rating of 98.1. The Cavaliers’s offense ranks a solid fifth, with an offensive rating of 107.7.
With 95.2 possessions and 1.077 points per possession, the Cleveland Cavaliers perform worse on both metrics than the Golden State Warriors. Golden State averages 101.8 possessions and 1.085 points per possession.
Golden State has an average effective field goal percentage of 54.0% (ranked first in the league}. Cleveland is a subpar 4-11 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
The Golden State Warriors are among the best in the league with an assist to turnover ratio of 1.89 (ranked third). Ranking 12th, the Cleveland Cavaliers have an A/TO of 1.65.
The Cavaliers rank 18th in rebounds per game with 42.7, while the Warriors rank eighth with 44.7 per game.
The Golden State Warriors rank 22nd in offensive rebounding, while the Cleveland Cavaliers also rank 22nd in defensive rebounds.
Golden State is among the best in forcing turnovers, with opponents averaging a TOV% of 15.7% (ranked fifth). Cleveland has a 10-11 record SU when its TOV% reaches 15.7% or greater.
